We were lucky to catch up with Angela Tait recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Angela thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Let’s start with education – we’d love to hear your thoughts about how we can better prepare students for a more fulfilling life and career

I’d advocate for schools to introduce life skills training, including personal finances and career development, as early as high school. Early professional exposure would help students align their college majors with genuine interests and aptitudes. For instance, my initial degree in Media Management wasn’t as suitable for me as Organization Development and Human Resources, which I only realized post-internships. Moreover, teaching financial basics like saving, investing, and understanding credit scores could prevent common pitfalls young adults face. In short, early life skills training could pave the way for more successful adults nationwide.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I grew up in a family of entrepreneurs, inspiring me to launch my venture, Tait Consulting, LLC, a year ago. We help small businesses hire top talent and handle their HR needs, recognizing that the right hires propel businesses forward quickly, while wrong ones lead to losses in time, money, and resources.

After earning my Masters in Organization Development from Pepperdine University, I faced challenges breaking into the OD/HR field due to my limited experience. I began with a virtual coaching and consulting business and later worked as an Executive Recruiter after relocating to Arizona. My passion for matching clients with candidates led me to establish an HR department for a real estate firm, aiding their growth from 10 to 100 employees within two years during the COVID era. I transitioned to Tait Consulting after recognizing my potential to assist multiple businesses while maintaining work-life balance.

Now, I focus on understanding candidates’ unique stories beyond their resumes, advocating for those with unrecognized potential. I am committed to bridging the gap between candidates and companies to enhance the hiring and employee experience to increase retention.

Have you ever had to pivot?

After a decade in sales, I chose to pivot to HR/OD. The transition was filled with challenges—hundreds of job application rejections, countless interviews, and often falling short due to my lack of direct experience. But a serendipitous LinkedIn exchange led me to a Phoenix office, where I mistakenly interviewed at the wrong office location because of some miscommunication. Fatefully, a manager there saw potential in me and offered me an Executive Recruiter position. This role included a low base and focused on commission, but was my gateway into HR. Less than a year later, a startup nearby recognized my abilities and offered me the task of establishing their HR department. In just a year there, I expanded the department, overseeing everything from talent acquisition to compliance, and grew my team to four. It was a journey from relentless rejection to profound opportunity.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

My proactive approach to personal branding and consistent visibility has undoubtedly played a pivotal role in building my reputation within the HR/talent acquisition space. Here’s a breakdown of what I do:

Constant Visibility: By posting regularly on social media and ensuring I remain top-of-mind for my audience to leverage the principle of repetition in marketing. The more people see me and associate my name with valuable content, the more they’ll recognize me as an authority in the field.

Educational Content: Sharing knowledge is a powerful way to establish credibility. When I provide content that helps my audience learn and grow, I position myself as an expert and foster trust and loyalty among my followers.

Testimonials: Social proof, in the form of testimonials, adds a layer of credibility to my professional persona. When potential clients or employers see that others have had positive experiences working with Tait Consulting, it reduces their perceived risk and builds confidence in our abilities.

Media Appearances: Being featured in publications and on podcasts extends my reach to new audiences and offers third-party validation of my expertise. Each media appearance acts as an endorsement, solidifying my position as a leading figure in my domain.

In conclusion, it is a multi-pronged approach, focusing on visibility, value delivery through educational content, social proof through testimonials, and third-party validation through media appearances, has created a robust foundation for building and sustaining my reputation in my market.

Contact Info:

• Website:www.taitconsultingllc.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/angela_tait_consulting?igshid=MzMyNGUyNmU2YQ==
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/recruit.develop.coach?mibextid=9R9pXO
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/angelatait
• Other: https://calendly.com/tait_consulting/letsconnect

Image Credits
Arina Garcia